One more for the road....

Join in for the last random dozen of the year as 2009 comes to a close. Click on the button below to link up!

1. Do you find it gross to share drinks with family? Friends? No. I'm not really a germaphoby type person. In fact, I've been known to use the FD's toothbrush on occasion when absolutely necessary so I would say that sharing a drink with him is mild in comparison. I probably wouldn't share a drink with a complete stranger but if I knew you for at least 5 minutes, I would.

2. What have you learned this year? (You didn't see a question of that weight coming, did you? At least not for #2.) I'm going to stick with an easy answer - I have learned that baking my own bread is not as difficult or time consuming as I would have thought. In January 2009 I made a goal to stop buying bread and start baking my own. And, aside from one package of store bought tortillas purchased in an "emergency" in February, I have not purchased a single bread product for a year. I have learned a lot about being more homemade than I ever thought I would be. I have learned a lot about being a frugal homemaker... there is still much to learn, but I think the way I do "home" has changed so much over the past year.

3. When do you dismantle the Christmas decorations? Well, we set a record this year for the earliest Christmas tree taker downers ever. In fact, on boxing day, my uncle said that if we ever do that again, we should let them know and make some sort of deal, since they were putting up their tree the same day we were taking ours down! On a normal year (read: a year when my tree doesn't completely die a week before Christmas), we take down our tree and our decorations in early January. The rest of my Christmas decorations are still up and will be put away sometime next week.

4. Something you wish to accomplish before the end of 2009 is: Enjoy a few more days of holidays whilst visiting with some dear friends.

5. How do you feel about winter (after Christmas)? It is ballZ. With a capital Z. Especially since winter officially started for us two days after Christmas.

6. Have you participated in after-Christmas sales? Yes. Although here in Canada, we prefer to call them Boxing Day Sales. I bought all of my wrapping supplies for next year, a Christmas door mat, salt and pepper shakers to match my Christmas dishes, a wall calendar and some clothes and shoes all for great prices. They practically paid me to buy all that stuff. You'd be stupid not to.

7. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve? I do believe we'll be hosting a wee gathering with some of our closest friends. Snacking on munchies, playing games, and attempting to set a record for the most people we can squeeze into our wee home overnight.

8. Is there anything special awaiting you in January? Two new classes of students, my husband's birthday, a weekend with my nephew, a visit to some family in the states, bridesmaid dress shopping, baby showering, and an 80th birthday party.

9. If your life this year was a movie, what category or genre would it be? (Romance, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, Suspense, Farcical, etc.) My life as a movie would definitely be the same genre as Julie and Julia. A biography/drama/comedy. I watched it over the holidays with my entire family and what was more entertaining than the movie was seeing them laugh at all the parts that reminded them of me. "It's like my readers need me, in a way. Like I fill a void in their life. That they would be somehow void if I didn't write".

10. How much time per day do you spend blogging? Please do not lie. I will know. I average about 1-2 hours daily.

11. Who runs your household? Her.

12. Share one hope/dream for 2010. Thanks to the encouragement and inspiration from two fabulous gals, SnoWhite and Jenny, my goal is to read the entire new testament in 2010.